NOTE: we always share our meals. That makes a big difference in the cost of our meals and the expansion of our waistlines. We don’t have the kitchen split the meals because Audre doesn’t eat as much as Dimitri. We just ask for an extra plate and Audre takes what she thinks she should eat.
ALE and DM discussed adding ratings to our restaurant reviews and compromised on the following ratings:
HR: Highly recommended
R++: Recommended almost as much as HR
R: Recommended
NR: Not recommended
A: Awful
We had some very good meals in North Vietnam but generally speaking the food lacked punch. It just wasn't that interesting. In the world, Vietnamese Phở and Vietnamese pancake have been exported. Unfortunately Phở in Vietnam and Phở in the world are not made in the traditional way with a base of seafood, or sea worm. At the restaurant T.U.N.G., we had a taste of a soup base made in the manner of Phở hải sản and it was delicious and much, much better than the phở one gets in the world (including Vietnam).
1. HR: T.U.N.G., 2C Quang Trung, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, 84-859-93-39-70, https://www.tungdining.com/menu. We had an enjoyable world-class meal in a delightful atmosphere with lovely service. When we arrived in our Grab (the Vietnamese Lyft or Uber) car, we were welcomed by a line of (maybe) 10 serving staff and 6 kitchen crew. We climbed the (steep) staircase to the dining room where there were already guests at 3 tables having dinner. It was a nice room and we had a comfortable, round table in the center of the room (no air con blowing directly on us). The set menu was 21 courses, each beautifully presented by personable and knowledgeable staff. Dimitri decided to get the (4) juice pairing with kombuchas (VND 360,000). He loved the fermented tastes. Our first offerings included oysters in a yummy lemony juice, a shrimp with salmon roe in a bold chorizo juice, and a salmon roll with apple that was good. We were starting to enjoy ourselves. The next offerings were a tomato mousse in a (perfectly sliced) eggshell with a parmesan taste that was excellent. There was a cod with aioli and a salad and a fantastic bite of eel with garlic. Really good. Our next dish was a palate cleanser of thyme ice cream and a cinnamon granita. The tastes were so distinctive and identifiable. The Hải Sản Phố is the way pho used to be made with a seafood and seaworm base. The T.U.N.G. presentation was innovative and exciting. The taste made us want to find a place in Hanoi that makes pho in the traditional way. The staff was not sure that any place makes it that way anymore. The shrimp curry was a WOW with the curry being one of the most vivid flavors we have ever tasted. How is the chef doing that? The fish and the scallop dishes were perfectly cooked and yummy. The lobster with the brown butter sauce was outstanding—again, how does a chef make a sauce with such prominent flavors? The next palate cleanser was a strawberry gelato with watermelon granita. Then we had pigeon, sourdough bread with black garlic butter, and the pièce de résistance: beef with galangal. The beef was tender and very tasty—even the fat. The desserts did not disappoint either. The mango and lychee was in a crunchy cone, the whiskey coconut was delicious and the peach and yogurt milk with a sesame cracker was fun (with all of the smoke). We were sorry that the meal ended! We spent VND 5,616,216 / US $234.09 and left with a chorus of goodbyes or Tạm biệts from the line of servers and kitchen staff.
2. R++: Ưu Đàm Chay, 55 P. Nguyễn Du, Nguyễn Du, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam, 098 134 98 98, https://uudamchay.com/Uu_Dam_Menu_0801.pdf. Ưu Đàm (flower from heaven) was one of our best Vietnamese dinners. The space is very nice, our table was very nice but the chairs were uncomfortable without cushions. We started with Phở cuốn lá Ưu Đàm (VND 135,000) summer rolls that were very good. The Canh chua Ưu Đàm (VND 125,000) was a soup and also very good. Our main dish was Chuối xanh om nồi đất ăn kèm Cơm An Lạc (VND 145,000), the green banana braised in a clay pot and served with an lac rice. We liked that dish the best. The traditional rice cake Bánh Chưng Gạo Đồ (VND 165,000) was very difficult to eat because it was so sticky; we didn’t enjoy it. We had a drink of durian and coconut made into a smoothie (VND 135000) called Nước sầu riêng Cái Mơn that Dimitri liked very much. We also had a coconut soup dessert, Sinh tố cốm dừa – sinh tố dừa sầu riêng (VND 135,000) that was not a hit with us. We thought our meal was very good and we were very happy that Dimitri found it. With water (VND 175,000), we spent VND 1244250 US $51.
3. R++: Cơm Việt Restaurant, 63 Phạm Hồng Thái, Ba Đình, Hanoi, Vietnam, 877771163, https://www.facebook.com/comviet63phamhongthai/. We were very happy with the meal, with the service and with our talk with the general manager. The first room on the 8th floor that we were brought to was empty and had no seat cushions. We asked for another room and were brought to an ornate room on the 9th floor that had 5 out of 6 tables filled. The table and chairs (with cushions) looked very Chinese but were Vietnamese (and very heavy with very straight backs). The menu that we had found on Facebook actually existed so we were able to order the dishes we had identified. We ordered a lime juice (VND 75,000) and water and were brought a bowl of pretty good peanuts and very good pickled celery. Our first dish was a crab and scallop soup (VND 165,000) which was good and had tasty pieces of crab and scallop in it. The next dish to arrive was sticky rice (VND 75,000) which was a delightful surprise. Very light puffs of sticky rice that were also tasty. We were getting to like this restaurant. The salad with young coconut, shrimp, and pork belly (VND 175,000) was very good and flavorful. The last dish to arrive was the hemibagrus fish (VND 295,000) made with galangal was delicious and served with an excellent sauce. That fish is a type of catfish and was tender and juicy. Our server spoke good English and was very efficient. The general manager stopped by our table a couple of times and later sat with us. He told us we were in the VIP room and that one table had Vietnamese government people and another had tourists. He said his customers were about half Vietnamese and half Western. He recommended a restaurant to us that he thought we’d like and told us about his family. It was great fun. We had a delightful evening and excellent food. We spent VND 1,271,600 US $52.93.
4. R++: Ngon Garden, 70 P. Nguyễn Du, Trần Hưng Đạo, Hai Bà Trưng, HàNội. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FFlW66EaQJ9vZwTK8FWr_szIAKstWfF1/view. We had a very nice meal with very good service by Duc (who spoke good English). We saw another table having crispy sesame crackers and a dip (VND 165,000). The dip was made with baby clams and it was tasty. The crackers were indeed crisp. We ordered the Banh Cuon Phu Ly (VND 95,000) with the crepes and fillings, including pork belly. It was difficult for us to make the crepes like the woman did at the restaurant on Sunday but the tastes were good. The banh bot loc Hue were little glutinous rice packets in banana leaf filled with shrimp and served with a good sauce (VND 70,000)—another good dish. The bông bí xào tỏi, zucchini flowers sauteed garlic were really good (VND 95,000) as were the tiny eggplant balls that popped when you bit into them (VND 20,000). The cá lóc kho tộ was a very boney fish but in a tasty sauce (VND 145,000). We had a delicious green tea (VND 125,000) that came with gingery accompaniments and a dessert with jackfruit and durian in it (VND 45,000). We enjoyed the meal and the ambiance. We spent VND 874,000/ US $36.41 and were happy. By the way, it had been recommended by the general manager of Cơm Việt Restaurant ( a restaurant we also recommend).
5. R++: Cha Ca Thang Long, 6B Durong Thanh, P. Cua Dong, Q. Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam, 024 3828 6007, https://chacathanglong.vn/. The meal was in fact one of our best. They serve only one dish thus making the ordering very simple. The Chả Cá fish was tender, tasty and sweet (VND 280,000). The copious amounts of dill and green onion accompaniments were also just right. We were sitting next to a Vietnamese couple and we just did what they did. We had the fish intestines added and they were so rubbery as to be inedible. We also ordered the fried fish roll (VND 36,000) and liked that too. We had water and tea too VND 40000). We spent VND 524,880/ US $21 and were happy.
6. R: Duong's Restaurant, 27 Ngo Huyen, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam, https://duongsrestaurant.com. There were only foreigners at this restaurant. There was nothing special about the rooms. We were on the second floor and it was comfortable although the back of the chairs eventually caused back pain. We had one water (VND 40000) and two fruit drinks which were both good. One was a lime juice (VND 45000) and the other was a peach iced tea (VND 55000). We started with Traditional fresh spring roll with prawn and meat (VND 95000 ) and it was good. Our next dish was the famous BBQ pork (bun cha) in nuoc mam sauce (VND 180000). Bún chả became an overnight sensation after President Obama was pictured scarfing down a bowl of these grilled pork patties with Anthony Bourdain. The sauce was really delicious and the pork was okay. We decided to try the Grilled fish La Vong’s Style “Cha ca la vong” (VND 240000). The fish didn’t have much taste and the dish was only so-so. We didn’t finish it. Our friends from the Stellar Cruise who were sitting near us said the fish at the restaurant of the same name as the fish was much better. For dessert, we had the black sticky rice in coconut cream (VND 85000) but it was not interesting so we didn’t eat it. We spent VND 720,500 US $30 and were happy enough.
7. R: 37th Street-Lotte Bao Tan, Lotte Department Store, Tang 6, Hanoi, Vietnam https://37street.com.vn/. The space is large with picnic tables and benches. We chose to sit in an area that had wooden chairs with backs but no cushions, unfortunately. The only menu was in Vietnamese but it had pictures. We chose a pancake (VND 199000) that came with herbs, lettuce, and rice paper wrappers. Fortunately one of the servers made our rolls and they were very good with the sauce provided. By the picture, we ordered the hot pot soup with fish (VND 439000). It was huge and with it came a huge platter with bean sprouts, dill, perilla leaves, and lots of other vegetables, including rau ngải cứu (wormwood leaves). The fish had a good taste and the soup base was very good. We did the best we could to do it justice. We also ordered a rice water juice (VND 60000) and a carrot juice (VND 45000). Both of those were good too. For dessert, we had a pudding (VND 35000) that was served with a bowl of ice and was refreshing. The other customers were either Korean or perhaps Vietnamese. It was the first restaurant in Hanoi that we felt we were having ordinary people type of Vietnamese food. We spent VND 856,440 /US $36 and we were happy.
8. R: PéPé La poule, Modern Chinese, 22 Quang Khanh Street, Tay Ho, Hanoi, Vietnam, 024-62-91-26-41 www.pepelapoule.com. After a long, hot, and humid walk around West Lake, we sat on the roof in a nice breeze and had a lovely view of the lake from above. What was a fetid, dirty experience next to it, turned nice from above. Audre wasn’t hungry but Dimitri wanted to try the food by Yu Masuda, a Japanese chef and owner of the restaurant. He ordered the crab steamed dumplings (VND 100000) which were kind of tasteless, the deep-fried tofu in a mushroom sauce with truffle oil (VND 140000). Dimitri really liked the gelatinous sauce with truffle flakes in it. Audre thought it was tasteless. The fried lotus and clams in XO sauce (VND 80000) were crunchy and had taste but the clams were so tough as to be inedible. We left most of the food and with juice (water was free) spent (VND 360000)/ US $23. We were happy enough.
9. R: Bánh Cuốn 101 Bà Triệu (155 Triệu Việt Vương, Hai Bà Trưng District, Hanoi). Very much a down-market place. Made from large round sheets of steamed rice flour, gathered around minced pork and wood-ear mushroom and gently folded and chopped, bánh cuốn is a delight. This savory treat is always made fresh-to-order, topped with dried shallots and served with a side bowl of fish sauce with pork sausage. Enjoy it for breakfast, like a local, and feel free to add fresh herbs to the mix and brighten up your bite. It was indeed good and the woman making the Bánh cuốn, or Vietnamese steamed rice rolls spoke great English. We shared one for VND 45000/US $1.88 and were happy.
10. NR: Gia Restaurant, 61 Van Mieu, Dong Da, Ha Noi, Vietnam, (+84) 896682996, www.gia-hanoi.com. We walked into a nice space and were asked to sit while a woman checked our reservation. That was odd but we did. It was an affectation that we could have lived without. After we were checked out, we were walked to the steep stairs up to the dining area where there were only 6 tables and only one had guests (later 2 more tables arrived). The room was nice but the music was so loud and had such a terrible, repetitive beat, we asked for it to be quieter. We moved tables to an area where the speakers could be turned off. When the servers spoke, it was difficult to hear and understand them even without the loud music. We spent VND 4380000/US $182.50 plus taxes for the winter tasting menu and non-alcoholic pairing. We were not impressed with the food, the service or the pairing. First the room: it was nice and the chairs were comfortable for about the first 1 ½ hours of the meal. The service fluctuated from being too fast and too slow. The two servers described the dishes, but when we asked for more detail, said they would have the chef explain. They didn’t. They tried to be playful, asking us to guess the ingredients of the juices, but it was just annoying. Now the food: some dishes were innovative and creative but not particularly Vietnamese. It seemed to us that we had a young, talented chef trying to be inventive. It was kind of hit or miss—some dishes worked some not. The entire team is very young and reaching beyond their capabilities. The first four dishes were called snacks and we thought the meal had started well. Generally, the sauces with the dishes were excellent. The toothfish was perfectly cooked. The broth in which the egg was floating was delicious. The boa bun was unusual and good but the honey was silly. The pork and the beef were too tough. At the end of the main courses, we were asked to move to the lounge area downstairs for dessert - another silly affectation. We were brought a pre-dessert of pina colada foam. It tasted good but some of the foam was watery and some too dense. Then we were brought the mugwort ice cream with duck fat and an ice cream waffle. That combination didn’t work—the ice cream just tasted of duck fat. The waffle with chocolate inside and peanuts outside didn’t work either (the waffle wasn’t crisp and the contents were too dense). The pairing had fermented drinks that were good although we didn’t get one with dessert which we thought was odd. We paid the bill but did not get a receipt. We do not recommend this restaurant.
11. NR: Lý Club Hanoi, 12 P. Lê Phụng Hiểu, Tràng Tiền, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi, Vietnam 096 254 00 88, lyclub.vn/hanoi/menus/dining-list. It was good, not great and a little too pretentious for us. The place was large and we were inside a fancy colonial building with lots of foreigners. Looking at their menu online, Audre had chosen some dishes she wanted. That was not to be; their printed menu was limited. We had 2 LaVie waters (VND 120,000—US$5 are you kidding?) From the printed menu, we chose the crab and pumpkin soup served in a pumpkin (VND 175,000—US$7.30 a reasonable price). It was good and it had lots of chunks of lump meat crab in it. Eating the pumpkin itself was good but not as sweet as we are used to. We next had the Lý Club Appetizer 5 Elements (VND 125,000). It was unusual and good. There were edible leaves called lôt (wild betel) leaves with a mild peppery taste. The server instructed us to smear some of the tamarind sauce on them, then add tiny amounts of crispy noodles, peanuts, dried shrimp, ginger, onion, lime and a fiery pepper and wrap it up. We were glad we had this appetizer. For our main, we had the soft shell crab with tamarind sauce (VND 450,000) and the crab vermicelli (VND 235,000). The crab was crispy with a tasty sauce and the noodles had big chunks of lump meat crab in soft rice noodles. Both were good dishes. For dessert, we had the BaBa sweet-sour soup (VND 98,000). It was okay. The service was good and, once the noisy foreigners left, it was quiet. We spent VND 1,203,000 / US $50.12 and were happy enough.
12. NR: Cai Mam Bistro, So 7 Lurong Van Can, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, 03 384 51086. https://caimamrestaurants.com/menu-cai-mam-vietnamese-restaurant-tieng-viet/. This place was recommended by Lucas, the concierge at Lotte Hotel. The customers were foreigners. We chose to sit upstairs and the circular staircase was narrow and steep, as well as dilapidated. To go to the toilet you had to cross through the kitchen which was small. Cleanliness was not foremost. Upstairs we were seated at a table at a banquet facing a large mirror which was weird. The menu was limited. The server had a great smile and spoke enough English. We ordered the Banana flower salad with tofu and fresh vegetables (VND 99000) which seemed steep. We ate a few bites and didn’t want more. The next dish to arrive was the stewed mushrooms and tofu (VND 179000). Again the price seemed too high. The dish was good but not particularly tasty. The other dish we ordered was caramelized pork in pot (VND 179000). Again the price was not justified in the dish. Looks like Cai Mam Bistro Signature Vegan is where Lucas should have told us to go. https://finediningvegan.com/ at 9 Nha Tho, Hoan Kiem District.
13. NR: Quán Cũ, 106 Yết Kiêu, Nguyen Du, Hai Ba Trung, https://quancuhanoi.vn/. We had difficulty ordering and we were not happy with the results. Because it was cold out we went to the back of the restaurant. There was a long table of Vietnamese (that was good) drinking and then eating loudly (that was bad). We had trà mạn ấm the local brown tea (VND 36,000) and it was okay. We ordered something called Nem rom dai bi Sour Meat Balls (VND 220,000) that was not a meatball at all. It was strings of chewy stuff with a little taste. You were supposed to wrap it in a betel leaf with some herbs. It was pretty bad. The other dish we ordered was more of a success. It was măng trúc xào, stir-fried bamboo shoots (VND 120,000) and that was new to us and we liked them. The third dish was mà heo chiên, described as Hong Kong fried pork cheek (VND 350,000). It was slices of pork that had some crispiness but weren’t distinctive. With cơm trắng, rice, for VND 30,000, we spent VND 843,480 and we weren’t happy.
14. A: Hải Sản Phố ở Quận Ba Đình, Hà Nội , Hanoi International School (HIS), 48 P. Liễu Giai, Cống Vị, Ba Đình, Hà Nội, Vietnam 091 916 32 32, https://haisanpho48lg.business.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral. It was within walking distance from the Lotte Hotel so we wanted to try it. We were totally disappointed. We went at 6 and, in the huge space, there was only one other table of guests. Upstairs, it sounded as if there were loud parties. We looked at the menu and ordered one salad—a seaweed salad with crab roe (VND 218,000) and a cabbage in shrimp sauce (VND 178,000). We were automatically brought roasted cashews (VND 30,000), 2 water (VND 25,000 x 2) and 2 wet towelettes (VND 3,000 x 2). We went to the big fish tanks and chose our crab which was actually not in water so we don’t know if it was alive. It cost VND 1,180,000 a kilo and our crab was 0.62 kilo and cost VND 731,600. We also ordered one white rice VND 10,000 which was huge and Dimitri didn’t like it. The seaweed salad with crab roe was good and the roe was interesting. The cabbage in shrimp sauce had no cabbage at all, just steamed vegetables of many types, that you mixed into a very tasty sauce. Bottom line: good. Now to the crab: bad. Either it was old or it was overcooked. In any case, it was not sweet, tender, or tasty. We didn’t finish it and we left unhappy. We spent VND 1,364,808/ US $56.86.
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